Hello all! I've been working on my second ever diorama for my Dragon Sherman Firefly over the past few months, but now, with the project nearing completion, I've got this feeling that the scene is missing something scenically.

The diorama is set in The Netherlands/Belgium in January 1945 when the Canadian Army was holding Southern Holland, North of Antwerp and the Maas River. In the scene is a lost tank crew, asking a nearby Medic for directions to the front.

These are the pictures that inspired me to set the diorama here:
http://www.wwii.ca/photo/404/the-netherlands/
http://www.wwii.ca/photo/403/the-netherlands/
http://www.wwii.ca/photo/399/the-netherlands/
http://www.wwii.ca/photo/285/the-netherlands/

Now here are the pictures of my diorama:



What do you guys think that I need for it? With all the masters on here, any advice would be greatly appreciated! The only problem is that More figures are out of the question, because I already think I've spent enough money on models lately

Once this problem is out of the way, I'll be applying Woodland Scenics' snow terrain.

zaltar

hey zaltar, i posted my snow diorama a while back and described some techniques i used for the white stuff. i added shrubs with snow over them for "the something extra" you may be looking for. here's the link and let me know if you want any more info than i had provided.

your dio looks primed for action and look forward to seeing how it comes together for you. cheers, mh.

Okay, weeds should work for something extra, I'll try looking in my garden! I'll also see if I can be inspired by anything else

zaltar

The bottom left needs something in it to define it. It's too empty and vague. Add some detail to the fence, add nails or some type of connector 'stuff'.
The medic needs some attachment to the right side of the fence. Without a connection I would expect him to be on the road side of the fence. Maybe a litter,or another soldier helping someone else, mabye a pile of gear he's tending to.

maybe try a tree stump that protrudes above the snow or the remainder of a dead tree. Maybe even one of those pollard willows.

Thanks everybody! I was working on it last night when I found some old dried up pieces of a bush. I airbrushed one green and left the others brown. I then thickened the trunk of the green one and painted the exposed wood brown and left the dried remnants of foliage the airbrushed green. I found that this made a decent small pine tree, and planted it where the little broken tree was before. I then took the brown ones and cut them up so that they were about waist height on the figure, and planted them behind the fence and by the tree. I'll post some pics later!

Scott and Bob: I believe that I'll use both of your ideas and plant a medium size stump and place some medical supplies on the near side of the fence to give the medic some purpose in the scene.

Thanks again!

zaltar